


Like Ashes and Roses

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, 終わりのセラフ | Owari no Seraph | Seraph of the End
Genre: Multi, Rating May Change, vampire!Peggy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 01:37:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5520542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One year prior to this day, a god who went by the name of Loki attempted to take the Earth.</p><p>One year prior to this day in different circumstances, the vampire Queen destroyed it to save it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Case

"That's why you hate being around them, isn't it?"

 

_It had hardly felt real when it happened._

 

A pale hand was reaching down towards him, tilting a pale chin to watch as icy blue eyes red and puffy with tears to meet his own dull crimson. There was no room for Mikaela to move, no room for him to retreat or run. There never had been anyway, but at least an illusion would've been nice. He was stuck in place, trapped between a wall, old pipes necessary to keep the city running that  _really needed to be upgraded,_ and his apparent eternal tormentor.

"It's the only time when you truly  _feel._ "

"Shut the fuck up."

A taunting laugh, accompanied by the abrupt movement of shadows as he twisted into a more comfortable stance, still leaning down over the seemingly apathetic blonde. Ferid Bathory, one of the few vampires and humans with the ability to remember the years that never were. The reign of Hīragi Kureto and Krul Tepes.

"Who are you to ask such a thing of me, Mika-kun?" he leered. "After all, I could walk directly into human territory without any resistance and put an end to your precious little Yuu-chan."

"Don't lay a finger on Yuuchan!"

They were in an alley within the city of Sanguinem, cold limestone freezing his back even through the three layers of clothing he wore. Mikaela shivered.

"He wouldn't even suspect it coming. With no memory of the  _other,_ he's about as helpless as... well, livestock."

"You fucking bastard!" Mikaela screeched, throwing his superior off with as much force as he could muster.

Ferid simply shifted back, as though the movement was entirely of his own causing.

 

_Red rained from a dark purple sky, clouds of demon blood both tainting and purifying the Earth. His head turned up towards the sky to watch as he took shelter beneath what was nothing more than the crumbling shell of what once must've been a rather impressive building. The purple-haired smol lying atop his shoulders groaned, her sunset-red eyes slowly flicking open to take in her surroundings._

_"Mikaela-san..?"_

_He tilted his head to the left, turning it right in order to take a good look at her face._

_"Mn? It's good to see you awake, Shinoa-san."_

_She lifted her face for a moment, only to quickly decide to rest it against his shoulder once more._

_"None of us ever even suspected Krul-sama of planning to end it this way, and yet here we are."_

_She smiled, then, though it was incredibly faint. He never would've caught it if he weren't used to forming the same one himself._

_"I told you family stays together until the end of the line."_

_He smiled back, turning to watch once more as the 'melted strawberries' continued to overflow. Rather than sinking into the concrete, it thrashed against the ground like an insect knowing it was about to be crushed._

_The only difference was that it would be doing the crushing._

_The two watched in a peaceful silence, waiting patiently for their inevitable demise. A vampire and a human, livestock and a soldier._

 

"Oi, Mika~. Stare off into space for too long and eventually someone will assume that you're one of Loki's drones."

"L-Lacus?"

_When did that bastard get here? Wait, where did Ferid go?!_

"Hhhaaaaiii~!"

Mikaela glared up at the city guard as a gloved hand was outstretched towards him, though taking up the purplette's offer nonetheless.

"Haah?! No one's heard from that bastard since his defeat in New York."

"If it could even be called that," Lacus acknowledged, crossing his arms as he leaned against the other wall. "I still think the shitty humans should've at least attempted enlisting Krul-sama's help."

Mikaela simply stared at the other blankly for a moment, before raising a hand to cover his yawn.

"Perhaps we could've lessened the blow, but in the end their so-called _'heroes,'_ " he spoke the word in an almost mocking tone, "would've still been the ones to determine the outcome of the battle."

 A chuckle.

"Well, I can't exactly deny that now, can I?"

A pair of poinsettia red eyes met Mikaela's own, softening considerably as they took in his ragged appearance. It wasn't so much his clothes or hair or even expression that gave away his suffering, but rather the weird aura-like thing that all vampires seemed to have. His own eyes widened as a pair of white-clothed arms wrapped around his shoulders, the taller of the two pulling him into an unexpected embrace.

"L-Lacus?!" Mikaela stiffened against the sudden contact, hand falling to where in the first would've sat the hilt of his sword in it's sheath.

_Just what is this asshole trying to--._

"Shh," the other shushed him, only moving his head back just enough to take a glance at Mikaela's face. "Just hug. Talking later."

He could feel his muscles slowly loosening before he collapsed forward, sobbing into the other's chest. The two stayed like that for a while, hidden out of sight from the rest of the world. Finally, Mikaela pulled back.

"What about your shift?"

Lacus turned away then, laughing nervously.

"No one will notice, these are times of peace."

"Lacus Welt I swear to Krul Tep- _mmph!_ "

A hand was placed firmly over his mouth, the other's eyes darting up to his face mischievously.

_Oh shit._

"Besides, if hanging out with Mikaela-kun gets me out of work then who am I to object?"

Mikaela lightly bit at the hand over his mouth, and Lacus withdrew it.

"You're terrible."

"You've been nothing but trash for a single human for as long as I've known you, possibly longer."

This time it was Mikaela who laughed.

"That is true."

The two stepped out of the alley, though it was really more of space between tenements than an actual alley. It didn't even have an official name, referred to by the locals as ' _the_ alley.' 

The alley of alleys.

Mikaela knew he should've slept the night before. Well, at least if he were lucky he wouldn't have to drive a drunk Lacus to his and Rene's apartment. Considering that he'd already run into Ferid twice, fate would probably give him a break.

Probably.

He could dream.

 

 *:･ﾟ✧

 

"Good morning, Steve," Natasha greeted as she took her seat across from him, taking a sip of steaming coffee.

The peppermint creamer game was strong today.

Sunlight filtered in through a set of triple floor-to-ceiling glass doors, easily illuminating the light green walls of the small coffee shop. It actually hadn't taken Steve all that long to come across this place, having a knack of always finding places that that brought attention to the smaller pleasures in life. The table they were sitting at was oak, shaped like a square with little messages engraved along the sides in Latin. The cup that his fellow avenger drank from had been imported from France, the light of the city just outside reflecting upon it in hues of blue and gold.

He cleared his throat.

"So, you wanted to talk?"

She nodded, her cup making a small  _clink_ as it made contact with the table. Reaching into the black leather messenger bag at her side, she pulled out a folder. Spreading it open between them, she tapped her fingers against several black-and-white photos. He leaned over to take a closer look.

"How much has Fury told you of Project Hyakuya?"

He continued staring at the photos, frowning.

"Wasn't it taking place in an orphanage where a section of SHIELD went out of control and began experimenting on the orphans brought in?"

She nodded, resting her chin on her palm.

"Yes, but there's more. You see the guy who appears to be at least partially European in descent? His name is Hyakuya Mikaela, and for the longest period of time we assumed him to be dead."

She held up a hand to say she wasn't done speaking, reaching for her phone and pulling up a more recent picture, this time in full color.

"This is undoubtedly him, all of his information remains the same except for two things; his name and his species."

She passed him her phone, allowing him to take a look at the kid for himself.

"We all know who Krul Tepes is. For the most part, however, the world has never heard the name Mikaela Tepes. He's almost always with her, standing off somewhere in the background if not directly behind her. He's been an enigma for years."

Steve nodded, having seen for himself a great many online articles concerning the blonde-haired blue-eyed vampire.

"In the first photo Hyakuya Mikaela was human, in the second he's vampire. The evidence that dispels the fact are his eyes, and even then the color is the only thing truly wrong. He rarely leaves the Queen's side. SHIELD has been investigating for years now, but they've yet to actually come up with anything on him. All attempts of asking the progenitor council have been futile. The vampires won't say a word, and we're not sure if even  _they_ know anything.

"The only thing that we're certain of is that he had something to do with the death or Hiiragi Kureto, the leader of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army before Hiiragi Shinya took command. He may have even been personally responsible, though I do find it improbable. The last photo taken of him being away from the Queen was with Hiiragi Seishiro, at Shinya's appointment 'party.'"

Another photo was pulled from behind a neatly paperclipped stack of papers, presumably information on their mystery man. She held it up for Steve to see with her left hand, taking back her phone with her right.

"I'm not sure how much you know of Japan's recent politics etc., but Seishiro was meant to take control after Kureto. That plan was thrown out after he went and had an affair with Lady Horn Skuld, the seventeenth progenitor right-hand man of thirteenth progenitor Crowley Eusford. It caused quite the commotion, you can be sure."

In the photo the Hyakuya appeared to be having fun, a light blush on his cheeks as he held up a glass of what Steve knew better than to assume to be wine. Hiiragi Sieshiro seemed to be enjoying himself as well, though unlike Mikaela who was looking directly at the camera, he was busy presumably flirting with the heavily-busted guard on his other side. Behind the three lay a seemingly expensive party full of noble vampires and high-ranking officers.

_It's probably for the best that he never became the Lieutenant General._

He lifted his eyes from the photos back to the master assassin, one question to which he had a feeling he already knew the answer floating around his brain.

"So, what does this have to do with me?"

Nat grinned the grin of the Cheshire cat. Steve inwardly groaned.

"Well," she began, only to pause as something outside the doors caught her eye. She turned back to him.

"He's our next mission." 


	2. Oh, Where Is My (Not) Lover?

They had been everywhere in one day, or so it had seemed.

Clint had been, by far, the easiest of their little entourage to gather. He'd been with Stark on roof of the multibillionaire's tower, perched up on the  _'T'_ doing birdie things. Stark had been next, his willingness to actually do something that didn't circle around his own fortune... lacking. At least he'd been near Clint and not way out in Columbus Ohio like Banner. Thor was just about as far away as one could get without being in Jotunheim. That is to say, Asgard.

In other words, Steve was definitely a far more irritable red, white, and blue popsicle than usual.

"Okay, so can we please discuss what the  _fuck_ was so important that you had to drag me all the way back out to New York  _just after_ I finally moved out?"

Yeah, Banner was also pissed.

On second thought, Steve probably should've been at least a bit more concerned with that realization.

_Oh well._

At least neither Peggy nor Bucky nor Sam had yet been dragged into whatever this was or would become.

"Right, so time to share the lesser classified information," Natasha's voice cut through his train of thought. "If you would, Mr. Stark?"

Tony nodded, signaling for the newly rebuilt JARVIS to pull up some tabs. Several photos of a blonde teen were the first to show, followed by a few paused clips taken from various news feeds. File after file of worded information, all with a single common name highlighted in a bright blue.

_Hyakuya Mikaela._

"So, from what we know," Natasha began as she had in the cafe with Steve, "he previously went by the name of Shindo, though that all changed when he was brought into SHIELD's Hyakuya orphanage. From what we can tell, it was actually more of a Hydra project than anything." Her glare could vaporize entire nations. "A site of human experimentation full of orphan lab rats too young to even know what they were consenting to, had they even been informed let alone given the choice to decline. Banner, if you would look into that before we head out."

The brunette nodded, shifting in his position on one of Stark's red leather recliners. He coughed, giving a small nod to signal her to continue.

"Despite all of the rumors that have been flying about for, quite honestly years, no one's been able to lay a finger on what his significance actually is. It hasn't helped any that the vampires who actually seem like they may know something all refuse to speak a word. The last we've actually gleaned is, of course, his name."

"There's always the fact that he rarely is seen anywhere further than fifty meters from the Queen. He's got to be of high rank," Stark interrupted.

Steve was surprised the 'man of iron' hadn't caught fire from the burning look in Nat's eyes. He may even need his suit soon enough.

"I believe that was implied, Mr. Stark."

"Nonetheless, you gotta be proud of my deductive abilities."

"If they can be called that. Continuing on, he has also been sighted hanging around the Japanese Imperial Demon Army's Hīragi family. Hell, in the picture over there," Nat gestured loosely with one arm to the photo of Mikaela and Hīragi Seishiro -which Steve remembered from before- with one arm, "he's even caught  _smiling comfortably_ amongst some of the highest-ups. The Hīragi family in general seems to view him as a friendly acquaintance, or at least as close as they can imagine anyone to be.

"Despite this, from what we've been told even they don't know who he is to the lovely Queen. I would suggest personal relations if not for the near blindingly low chances of such, even if the reason is simply that vampires don't seem to often form any such connections. Now," she held up the same hand she'd used to gesture to Seishiro to prevent any interruptions from Stark, "I'm not completely denying the possibility. It's just incredibly unlikely."

"I see you've turned into Miss Hermione Granger, 'aven't you, Agent Romanov?"

The dark brown cherry wood door of the fifth floor of the bar swung open to admit who appeared to be one of SHIELD's average lackeys. Light grey suit, dark blue tie, short cut red hair. The man had stunningly alive green eyes and pale skin, eyebrows thick enough to challenge Hīragi Kureto's. He was lean and wiry, probably taller than any other in the room. He flashed a suggestive open-mouthed grin, vibranium tooth gleaming in the darkly warm light.

The walls were red like half dry blood, the floor solid hard wood under their feet. Most of the furniture was black, with the exception of a grape purple loveseat and the chair that Banner was sitting on.

"Alastor."

The greeting was anything but welcoming, and he chuckled at her obvious dislike.

"Don't worry," he assured, "I won't be staying long."

He took a look around the room, eyes scanning each of their faces, picking apart their very souls. After a few seconds of this he spoke again.

"The Director sent me here to give you all a warning not to think too hard about things. Though," he chuckled again, gaze settling on Steve, "I'm sure not all of us would be quite capable of that."

"Is that really all?" Steve questioned, not quite liking the new guy.

"Actually yes, whether you believe it or not. I'll be taking my leave now, if you don't mind."

He exited the bar in silence. Stark's glass of vodka hit the table.

"That guy's clearly a jackass."

Steve couldn't have agreed more.

 

*:･ﾟ✧

 

_"Mi-hi-ka! AHAHAHAHAAAA, it's perfect, don't you agree, Mika-kun?!"_

The blonde shivered, pulling fluffy dark green blankets tighter around himself.

  _Salt._

_It was everywhere, the flavor overwhelming even as his tongue remained firmly within a closed mouth._

"I brought hot blood."

_Krul-sama?_

The short pinkette sat next down beside him before the marble fireplace, the lighter pink beanbag chair letting out a whispering  _fwshhh_ below her.

The two were sitting in Mikaela's chambers within Krul's castle, though when the Queen had arrived Mikaela was unaware. It didn't matter, though. If she was here, then there was something that she wanted of him.

"You know I don't drink human blood," he murmured, after a moment of careful considering his words.

His eyes were blank as he stared into the flames, for the most part unbothered by his own closeness to a potential heat death. It wasn't like he lacked immortality.

"It's mine," she so casually responded.

He nodded, still not making a move for the metal flask held out for him to take. She spent a minute to take in his appearance, giving a small sigh of sympathy which she would for no other. The flask lay against his own crimson bean bag, tilted slightly so as not to allow any of the precious liquid inside an escape despite the tightly screwed on lid.

The two sat in silence, Krul's eyes flickering towards Mikaela's face every now and then, until finally:

"The human organization SHIELD seems to have taken interest in you."

"Oh?"

"Whenever you're willing to tell me what it is between you, Ferid Bathory, and Lacus Welt, I'll be willing to listen."

He  _mm_ ed amusedly. She stood again, stretching her arms up over her head.

"Anyway, I do think that it's about time you found some things to take interest in on your own time. Other than," her eyes flashed with the reflection of the burning flames, "Hyakuya Yuuichirou."

"I'll never give up on Yuuchan."

A smirk.

"Figured you would say that. I came with information on him, actually."

For the first time since the week prior, he raised his eyes to meet her gaze. Blue. Untainted yet by the cruelty of the world, or at least that's what he liked to tell himself.

He could still remember the taste of Yuuichirou's blood from the first.

She hummed in approval before sharing.

"He's been working with the JIDA under Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose Guren, and is a member of the Shinoa squad meant to escort a platoon of SHIELD agents through Japan in an attempt to build a bridge between the two agencies and potentially dispel any possibilities of a war. You currently have nothing to do, and there don't seem to be any incoming missions that I might have to send you out on."

He rolled his eyes up from where they'd again rested on the flames to her face.

"You want me to acknowledge them and make a move to either prove or dispel any possible suspicions and false information they may have obtained, don't you?"

"Essentially."

Tch.

"I'll be leaving, barge rudely into the throne room if you need anything," she excused herself with a wave of a silk-clad arm.

Her footsteps echoed slightly even on the wine-colored velvet carpet that covered his floor like a fresh layer of snow atop concrete.

He sighed, cuddling further into his mess of blankets and bean bag chair.

 

*:･ﾟ✧

 

"Oi, Yoichi."

The brunette's heart leapt in his chest at the sudden call of his name. He turned away from the window, all traces of worries gone from his face. The light of the day shone in bright white, illuminating the Shinoa Squad collective dormitories.

"Yes, Yuu-kun?"

_The raw, burning sensation of your skin tearing and curling in like dry old paper on fire as it gave way to salt, became one with salt._

Olive green eyes met those of pine green, an underlying skepticism that had never been there before undetectable beyond the quicker blinks, the time between drawn out longer than what once had been his normal.

Yuuichirou broke the mutual stare first, feet shuffling as he brought up a hand to scratch at the hair behind his ear. It was his nervous tick, a new one that had only made it's first appearance in what Yoichi privately thought of as the  _second_.

"The SHIELD squad are coming the day after tomorrow. You remember the schedule?"

"I have it on my phone, Yuu-kun."

"Just making sure."

Yoichi continued to stare at Yuuichirou for a moment, before turning back to the window in a way that didn't completely dispel the conversation. He raised a porcelain teacup to his lips, taking a sip of the scalding liquid inside.

"So," he coughed, "how's your day been?"

"Aggravating as usual. Kimizuki's a real pain in the ass," Yuuichirou fired his answer back.

Yoichi flinched.

"He's not that bad."

Now it was Yuu's turn to stare, which he did. Very well.

"Are you on something?"

"No, Yuu-kun," Yoichi mumbled under his breath, "if anyone in the squad is, they'd be you."

"What was that?!"

"He said you suck dick," Shinoa conceded what was left of the conversation in announcement of her arrival into what was basically their common room, cutting off at the end of her sentence with a painful yelp when Yuuichirou pinched her cheek.

"Yuu-s _anN!"_ she yowled as he let go, bringing up a hand to rub at her reddened cheek, a light blush flushing her face a light cotton candy pink. "Cherry boy."

"You're the one who's face is the color of cherries."

Her head tilted up towards him slowly, an arm drawing back, before he was gasping for air as he clutched at his gut. She grinned, fist impaled in Yuuichirou's gut.

Yoichi fully turned his attention back to watching the cars as they raced past up and down the streets of Tokyo just outside his window, (somewhat) successfully tuning his two bickering squadmates out.


End file.
